HDR (High Dynamic Range) has become the standard for premium content delivery. But with three competing formats — Dolby Vision, HDR10, and HDR10+ — it's easy to get confused about what your project actually needs. Here's the practical guide for producers who need to make informed decisions without getting lost in the engineering.
What HDR Actually Does
HDR expands the range of brightness and color your content can display. Standard Dynamic Range (SDR) content — what we've watched for decades — uses the Rec.709 color space with a peak brightness of about 100 nits. HDR content can reach 1,000–4,000 nits of peak brightness and uses wider color spaces (Rec.2020 or DCI-P3) that reproduce colors closer to what the human eye actually sees.
In practice: brighter highlights, deeper shadows, and more vibrant colors. A sunset that clips to white in SDR shows the full range of orange, red, and gold in HDR. A dark scene that's a muddy mess in SDR reveals detail in the shadows in HDR. It's the single biggest visual quality improvement since HD replaced SD.
The Three Formats
HDR10 is the baseline. It uses static metadata — a single set of brightness and color parameters applied to the entire film. It's the most widely supported format, compatible with virtually every HDR-capable TV and streaming platform. If your project can only support one HDR format, HDR10 is the safe choice.
Dolby Vision uses dynamic metadata — brightness and color parameters can change on a scene-by-scene or even shot-by-shot basis. This means the colorist can optimize the HDR presentation for each scene rather than compromising on a single setting for the whole film. Dolby Vision is the premium standard, required by Netflix for original content and supported by Apple TV+, Disney+, and most premium streaming platforms.
HDR10+ is Samsung's answer to Dolby Vision. Like Dolby Vision, it uses dynamic metadata, but it's an open standard (no licensing fees for content creators). It's primarily supported by Amazon Prime Video and Samsung devices. Market adoption is more limited than Dolby Vision.
What Each Platform Requires
Netflix: Dolby Vision mastering is required for HDR originals. HDR10 fallback is part of the standard deliverable. SDR deliverable required alongside HDR.
Disney+: HDR10 and Dolby Vision both supported. Dolby Vision preferred for premium originals.
Apple TV+: Dolby Vision mastering required for originals. HDR10 as fallback.
Amazon Prime Video: HDR10+ and HDR10 supported. Dolby Vision support added more recently.
Theatrical (DCP): HDR is not applicable — DCI-P3 color space at standard cinema luminance levels is the standard. See our DCP mastering guide.
For the full technical specifications of each platform, see our Platform Deliverables page.
Dual HDR/SDR Delivery
Every major platform requires both HDR and SDR deliverables. Your audience on a premium OLED TV sees the HDR version; your audience on a laptop or older TV sees the SDR version. Both need to look great.
The standard workflow uses DaVinci Resolve's HDR grading tools: the colorist grades the HDR master first, then creates the SDR version either through an automatic trim pass (Dolby Vision's "mapping" feature generates an SDR version from the HDR metadata) or through manual SDR adjustment (the colorist tweaks the SDR version by hand for scenes where the automatic mapping doesn't look right).
This dual-deliverable workflow typically adds 1–2 days to a feature color grade — not double the time, because most of the creative work is done in the HDR pass and the SDR is derived from it.
Korean HDR Grading Capability
Korean grading facilities have invested aggressively in HDR capability, driven by Netflix's requirements for Korean original content. Facilities that grade Netflix K-dramas and Korean features routinely work in Dolby Vision workflows with calibrated HDR monitoring chains, and deliver compliant dual HDR/SDR packages that pass platform QC.
This matters for international projects because the HDR workflow is exactly the same regardless of the content's origin. A Korean colorist who grades Dolby Vision for Netflix Korean originals uses the same tools, the same calibration, and the same QC process for your US-originated feature or series.
For a deeper look at Korean color grading capabilities, read our Complete Guide to Color Grading in Korea.
HDR Format Deep Dive: What Actually Differs
The HDR format landscape has three main variants for streaming delivery, plus theatrical variants. Understanding the technical differences helps you make informed decisions about mastering and deliverables.
HDR10 specifications: Rec.2020 color primaries, PQ (Perceptual Quantizer) transfer function, static metadata (MaxCLL, MaxFALL), 10-bit color depth minimum, up to 10,000 nits theoretical peak brightness. Royalty-free, supported by virtually every HDR-capable device.
HDR10+ specifications: Same color space and transfer function as HDR10, but adds dynamic metadata that changes per scene. Royalty-free (Samsung-led alternative to Dolby Vision). Supported by Samsung TVs, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV 4K, some other platforms.
Dolby Vision specifications: Rec.2020 color primaries, PQ transfer function, dynamic metadata per scene, 12-bit color depth, up to 10,000 nits theoretical peak brightness. Requires Dolby licensing for content creation and distribution. Supported by Netflix, Apple TV+, Disney+, HBO Max, Vudu, and many premium streaming platforms.
Why Dynamic Metadata Actually Matters
Static metadata (HDR10) tells the display "this content peaks at 1,000 nits, with average light level of 200 nits." The display uses this global information to adjust its tone mapping across the entire film.
Dynamic metadata (Dolby Vision, HDR10+) provides scene-by-scene information. A dark dungeon scene tells the display "this scene peaks at 400 nits with 100 nits average." The next bright exterior scene tells the display "this scene peaks at 2,000 nits with 600 nits average." The display optimizes for each scene individually.
In practice: dark scenes in Dolby Vision maintain shadow detail better. Bright scenes maintain highlight detail better. The tonal range of each scene fits the display's capability more precisely. On high-end HDR displays, the difference is visible. On entry-level HDR displays, the difference is subtle but present.
Dolby Vision Profiles: What They Mean
Dolby Vision has multiple profiles for different use cases. For producers, the relevant ones are:
Netflix Dolby Vision. Single-layer Dolby Vision delivery via IMF with J2K video and Dolby Vision metadata. 10-bit minimum color depth.
Dual-layer Dolby Vision. HDR10 base layer plus Dolby Vision enhancement layer. Used for Blu-ray UHD. Allows playback as HDR10 if Dolby Vision is not supported.
Single-layer with HDR10 compatibility. Single-layer Dolby Vision with HDR10 compatibility metadata. Used by Apple TV Plus and other platforms that want built-in HDR10 fallback.
Bandwidth-optimized variants. Additional Dolby Vision single-layer variants optimized for lower-bandwidth streaming applications.
Matching the right profile to your distribution target is essential. Each platform has specific Dolby Vision delivery preferences. Specify your target platforms with the colorist at the start of the grade so mastering is optimized for your actual distribution chain.
SDR Trim from HDR: The Hidden Process
Most productions master in HDR and need an SDR deliverable as well. The efficient approach: grade in HDR, then generate the SDR version through a "trim pass" that refines how the HDR grade maps to the smaller SDR gamut.
Dolby Vision's automatic trim is genuinely good — it produces a starting SDR version that often requires minimal manual adjustment. HDR10 does not have equivalent automatic trim, so HDR10-only masters require manual SDR generation if an SDR deliverable is needed.
Korean colorists familiar with Dolby Vision workflows can typically deliver both HDR and SDR masters from a single grading session with 10-20 percent additional time added for SDR trim review. This is dramatically more efficient than grading HDR and SDR as separate passes.
Common HDR Pitfalls
Reviewing HDR on uncalibrated displays. The single biggest source of "this HDR grade is wrong" feedback is reviewing the grade on a consumer TV, laptop, or phone without proper HDR calibration. Either use a reference monitor for review or travel to the facility for important review sessions.
Watching in bright environments. HDR is designed for controlled viewing environments. A bright-lit office or outdoor viewing makes the HDR grade look wrong — too dark, insufficient brightness. Review in properly dim environments.
Confusing HDR and higher brightness. HDR content is not "brighter" across the board. It has expanded dynamic range, meaning deeper shadows AND brighter highlights. A good HDR grade uses the expanded range for specific moments, not uniform brightness increase.
Skipping the SDR trim. If the SDR version is an afterthought, it looks like an afterthought. Allocate proper time for SDR trim review, especially given that many viewers will watch on SDR displays.
Format proliferation confusion. Trying to deliver HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, and SDR all from the same production creates complexity. Focus on what distributors actually require. Most productions need Dolby Vision plus SDR and that covers the major streaming platforms.
HDR Mastering Costs in Korea
HDR mastering typically adds 25-30 percent to color grading costs because it requires additional trim passes, metadata generation, and QC validation. For a 90-minute feature:
SDR-only grade in Korea: $20,000-$35,000 for complete grade and deliverables.
HDR+SDR grade in Korea: $27,500-$48,500 for both masters plus deliverables.
Equivalent work in LA: $65,000-$97,000 for HDR+SDR with comparable deliverables.
The premium for HDR is worth it for any project targeting premium streaming distribution. The HDR master opens Netflix, Apple TV Plus, Disney Plus, and other premium platforms that require HDR for original content or premium tier content.
Theatrical HDR: A Different Beast
Theatrical HDR (Dolby Cinema, Dolby Vision in cinema) uses different specifications than streaming HDR. Theatrical peaks at 108 nits (vs. streaming's 1,000+ nits). The color space is DCI-P3. The viewing environment is dark.
A streaming HDR master cannot be used for Dolby Cinema theatrical release. A separate theatrical HDR master is required. For projects with both streaming and Dolby Cinema theatrical distribution, factor this into scope — it is a separate grading pass, not a repurposing of the streaming master.
Korean facilities handle streaming HDR routinely. Full Dolby Cinema theatrical HDR is less common in the Korean market and may require specialized Dolby-certified theatrical facilities. For productions with Dolby Cinema distribution plans, verify the Korean facility's Dolby Cinema certification before committing.